Recent Viewpoints

Penna Dexter Normal Americans are repulsed by the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. This was a bridge too far even for people who buy in to careless “threat to democracy” rhetoric from Trump’s opposition. Their recoil reminds us that we must take care to preserve our constitutional republic. Our system of government is meant to help our nation avoid political violence. Under constitutionalism, we have systems that allow differences of opinion on government policy to be handled by…

Kerby Anderson We can see some cycles in history. Yesterday, I talked about a political/cultural cycle. Today I want to talk about a technological cycle and a financial cycle. There appears to be about a fifty-year technological cycle, in which we see important technological revolutions. In the 18th century, we saw the beginnings of what today we refer to as the industrial revolution. Fifty years later was the age of steam and railways that changed the world significantly. Up until…

Kerby Anderson Are there cycles in history? Yes, even though there is a linear trajectory in history, there are generational cycles we can observe. No doubt you have heard the phrase: “Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, weak men create hard times.” Or you may have heard: “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” And you may have heard the phrase “the fourth turning” that predicts a crisis at the…

Kerby Anderson Wilfred Reilly has written a book about how American history is taught today. It has the provocative title, Lies My Liberal Teacher Told Me. In some ways, it can be seen as a response to the book by James W. Loewen, Lies My Teacher Told Me. You can read his opinion column that provides a summary of his book. What is his concern? “We often, bizarrely, hear the claim that American history is taught mostly from the political right…

Kerby Anderson There are many reasons why politicians talk about “draining the swamp.” The federal bureaucracy is bloated. Our taxes don’t even cover all the costs of the executive branch in the federal government. Economist Stephen Moore argues that “The Case for Draining the Swamp Is Stronger Than Ever.” He reminds us that the latest official employment report finds once again that “the federal government and state-local hiring spree is still in full gear.” Government and health care are hiring…

Kerby Anderson With political tensions throughout the world, we need someone to step forward and promote some important principles for America to provide global leadership. It isn’t too often that a speech by the Speaker of the House fulfills that need. But these are not ordinary times. Earlier this month, Mike Johnson spoke at the Hudson Institute and laid down a marker for future leaders because he rejects American decline and retreat. He explained, “While democracy is not perfect, the…

Penna Dexter Nine years ago, the United States Supreme Court issued the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges decision that brought same sex marriage to every state. This despite the fact that 31 states had specifically defined marriage in their laws and constitutions as being between one man and one woman. Many Americans still hold to that definition of marriage, especially people of faith. During oral arguments in Obergefell, Justice Antonin Scalia asked, “Is it conceivable that a minister who is authorized…

Kerby Anderson It’s time to have a meaningful conversation about tipping, for two reasons. First, there is a significant reaction to the expectation of tipping. Andy Kessler writes about “The Tyranny of Tipping.” Second, tipping may become a political issue. Donald Trump declared in Nevada: “When I get to office, we are going to not charges taxes on tips.” Why do we tip? Historically, it goes back centuries. Andy Kessler talks about London taverns in the 17th century that suggested…

Kerby Anderson If you spend any time viewing social media, you have probably seen a few clips from notable experts on the dangers of alcohol. We know so much more about its dangers than we did just a few decades ago. Professor Jordan Peterson warns that “alcohol is an extraordinarily pernicious drug.” He understands why people would use it because of its anxiety reducing properties. But he argues that alcohol is a really bad drug. He says, “50 percent of…

Kerby Anderson Warner Wallace has a new book out with the title, The Truth in True Crime: What Investigating Death Teaches Us About the Meaning of Life. Although he is known as a cold-case homicide detective, he is best known in Christian circles as an apologist. The title of his book might be a bit deceiving. He uses the crime scenes he investigated over the years to point to life principles that lead to human flourishing. The fifteen chapters discuss…

Kerby Anderson We need to find the “lost boys of America” and reach out to them. They are responsible for mass shootings. And they are also killing themselves (slowly with drugs or quickly through suicide). This needs to be a priority for every church in every community. Many people have written about this. David French wrote an essay and quoted from two authors I have discussed in previous commentaries. Robert Putnam is best known for his book, Bowling Alone, that…